Chairs: Suresh Vaghela, Body Positive North West, Pamela Kaseke-Mushore, London seminar participant
Facilitators: Canon Margaret Morris, Bishop of Leicester’s chaplain for people affected by HIV, Philip Palmer, THT’s Positive Participation Group and Reverend Rowland Jide Macaulay
Rapporteur: Suresh Vaghela
This workshop was planned to occur once on the Monday of the conference, however participants felt that they would like more time to explore the issues and asked for it to be repeated. As a result the session was held again the following day. A total of 45 people attended.
Faith leaders put their views forward, by way of introducing themselves, and there were strong and outspoken views of how faith had 'interfered' with individual's own ways of dealing with HIV. For some, faith had placed an extra burden on existing concerns, rather than providing a respite.
There was a great dependency on faith and culture but this was also really damaging the lives of some people living with HIV. Prejudice and stigma exists within people of the same culture or belonging to the same faith group and can even come from leaders within these. The pressure of rejection and stigma from faith groups and from people from different or same cultures can have a huge impact on someone living with HIV and their family members.
One participant felt that the state of one’s health is a fine balance of physical, mental and spiritual components and that there is some connection between people who have a positive spiritual outlook and the strength of their immune system. He emphasised that if individuals are not allowed to express, or be part of their faith and spiritual being, then society is not allowing this particular community to get better and stay better. Medicine is not the only substance that will make people living with HIV become and stay healthy. Some people have a need to be part of a faith or spiritual group and this is crucial and needs to be recognised.
Participants discussed the fact that unfortunately, some religions and elements of our culture have spread the idea that AIDS is a punishment for sin. Orthodox thinkers in most major faiths have, in the past, denounced those who fall ill with HIV, suggesting their fate is divine punishment for immoral behaviour/lifestyles. Left unresolved, these feelings of guilt can lead to depression and shame. This could have a knock-on effect of depression and low esteem, eventually leading to a deterioration of physical and emotional health.
All faith groups seemed to face the same problem of rejection from their own people resulting in them not being able to be comfortable in their faith communities, as well as their cultural group. A Muslim couple couldn’t tell their parents; firstly because of their faith, they believed that they would be thrown out of the mosque and secondly, because in their cultural group, they felt that the whole family would be degraded and shunned by the rest of the community. As a result they had decided not to disclose to anyone in order to avoid the risk of rejection.
Some participants felt that though HIV had cheated them out of certain things in life, the faith communities had stolen the very meaning and purpose of their lives, leaving them alone, abandoned and forcing them to examine themselves and life in general.
Prejudice and stigma can come from leaders of faith groups
There may be some connection between people who have a positive spiritual outlook and the strength of their immune system
Some religions and elements of our culture have spread the idea that AIDS is a punishment for sin
People living with HIV and HIV organisations should try and engage more with faith communities to educate them about the issues
Prejudice and stigma within organised faith groups should be challenged
There should be further opportunities for people living with HIV and others interested to come together and discuss faith and cultural issues
This workshop was evaluated by 24 people. The youngest participant was 27 and the oldest was 67. The average age was 42.
Gender
12 male, 11 female, 1 not stated
Ethnicity
14 black African, 6 white, 3 not stated, 1 other non-white
Sexuality
15 heterosexual, 6 gay, 2 not stated, 1 bisexual
Usefulness
Very useful |
Useful |
Not useful |
58%(14) |
34% (8) |
8% (2) |
10 people set themselves action points:
Educate and inform others
Become a public figure for HIV
Teach my spiritual leaders
Work with church leaders to embrace HIV
More seminars to be arranged
Respect and tolerance
Try for greater understanding at my organisation
Respect people's cultural issues
Try to understand more about faith
Personal action
Continue to explore area
Clarify own position/understanding on this issue
Work closely on other spiritual projects
One person did not feel the need to set an action point:
God is in control of my life
Move on to Having A Healthy Sex Life